BOX 4. NHRIS’ COMMITMENTS TO REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: THE AMMAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION The Eleventh International Conference of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights took place in Amman, Jordan, 5-7 November 2012. The focus of the Conference was “The human rights of women and girls: Promoting gender equality: The role of national human rights institutions.” At the Conference, participants affirmed that women’s and girls’ rights are human rights, which are guaranteed in all human rights treaties. The Amman Declaration and Programme of Action includes as section of commitments with regard to Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights, as follows: • Paragraph 25: Protect and promote reproductive rights without any discrimination, recognizing reproductive rights include the right to the highest attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health, the right of all to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children, and on matters related to their sexuality, and to have the information and means to do so free from discrimination, violence or coercion, as laid out in the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development; • Paragraph 26: Encourage and aid the compilation of an evidence base (e.g. data, inquiries, research) concerning the exercise of reproductive rights and the right to sexual and reproductive health, including but not limited to cases of de jure and de facto discrimination in access to sexual and reproductive health care information and services, forced sterilization, forced abortion, child marriage, forced marriage, female genital mutilation/ cutting, biased sex selection and other harmful practices; • Paragraph 27: Review national laws and administrative regulations relating to reproductive rights such as those governing family, sexual and reproductive health, including laws which are discriminatory or criminalize access to sexual and reproductive health services, and propose recommendations to assist States in meeting their human rights obligations; and • Paragraph 28: Promote measures to ensure access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services and to remove barriers which hinder such access, and support the establishment of accountability mechanisms for the effective application of the laws and the provision of remedies when obligations have been breached. 33